My next bass boat

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Tom

Tom

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I've been happy with my Bass Tracker for several years, but it may be time to upgrade. I've procrasinated for a few years, partly because of sticker shock.

Some of the options include:

Ranger boats

Triumph boats

Tracker boats

Any other options someone would recommend?
 
I bought a Lowe a few years ago and have been very satisfied with its construction.  It has no wood, even in the transom.  Other alum. boats may not have wood now either, but my old '87 Bass Tracker did and, of course, it eventually rotted.  Depending on just what you are after, Lowe might have one you like.
 
Thanks both. I hadn't heard of Lowe (or maybe just don't recall). Looks like there are a couple of dealers within a couple of hours of us. On the way, I'll pass a Bass Pro Shop, and they'll have the latest Bass Trackers on display.

The inclusion of Triumph in my list wasn't totally serious. I'd looked at (and test driven) them before buying the Bass Tracker; They're light and almost indestructible, but not a serious contender, unless things have changed.

I was previously impressed with Champion, but they seem to have disappeared except for the "much used" market.

A few others I meant to include in the list:

Skeeter

Nitro

Stratos
 
You won't go wrong with a Ranger or a Tracker - but I am afraid you may be disappointed with a Triumph - they are pretty much bulletproof since they are made from polypropylene or something similar - we had them build a few 23 footers custom for Sea Tow and they were nice to begin with but quickly fell apart - while the plastic material is resiliant - the flexibility tends to not want to hold with screws and other attachment methods and hatches etc did not last. Not a bad riding boat, but they are light and get bounced around a bunch when rough....

Stick with some other - Nitro - Ranger - are all bass specific and built tough.

Good Luck,

Jim
 
Aye Jim, that was my impression of Triumph when I checked them out and sea trialed one, before I bought the Tracker. The Triumph we (another forum member and I) sea trialed was their center console. The owner of the dealership had put an oversize (out of spec) outboard on it for his own use; The combination of that large/heavy engine and 3 guys made the boat extremely unstable.
 
Seems to be a bad time to buy new bass boats or used bass ones  in good condition. A number of dealerships have limited (wrong model) or no inventory, and some manufacturers are in a 'build to order' mode, or 'wait until Fall'. CraigsList has only really 'old' boats in who-knows-what condition at inflated prices.

Having used the Tracker the last few days, I'm thinking I'll get it re-carpeted and use it for a few more years. It took a while to find someone to do the carpeting, but I finally called Bass Pro Shops and asked who they use to re-carpet their Tracker boats. Had an interesting phone conversation with the guy regarding options.
 
I re-carpeted my old Bass Tracker a few years back.  It wasn't too big a job.  The biggest problem I had was the seats.  It was an '87 model and the seat construction was built around plywood, which finally gave up.  I first made the mistake of el cheapo seats.  They had plastic bases, but the padding and upholstery sucked.  However, replacing the seats (with money) took care of that.  I just sold that Tracker last year and the carpet and seats are what sold it.
 
Thanks Tom. My seats are in great condition.
 
The estimate on re-carpeting came in at $2,200 or $3,000, depending on whether wood needs replacing. I'm thinking I'll do the job myself. I re-did half the boat previously, and have a good feel for what it takes; I just used the wrong carpet.
 
With a half day free, I made it out to Bass Pro Shops in Manteca, CA. They're a Tracker and Nitro dealership, and they had several models of both brands on display. I fell in love all over again, but managed to get out of the store with my wallet and checking account in one piece, although I did have them figure the out-the-door prices and trade-in value on my current Tracker  :eek:

FWIW Nitro is a Tracker brand with a fiberglass hull. Beautiful boats but, like the time I bought my current tracker, I'm reluctant to buy a fiberglass boat that will get scratched and beat up fishing around local docks and tree stumps out on the Delta. The new Tracker Pro Team 190TX is a nice aluminum boat with a partially painted hull.

I was headed from there to a Lowe dealership 12 miles down the highway, in Escalon. But I received a call letting me know my afternoon appointment had been moved forward. The Lowe will have to wait for another day. Meanwhile, I'm lusting over the Tracker and Nitro product brochures  :-[
 
I know it's been a while and not sure if you purchased something but take a look at Crestliner. They make a great bassboat and quite a few different sizes. They just introduced the PT-20 that is a monster of an aluminum boat with a 200HP rating. The tracker PT-195 is a nice choice as well with a 150hp rating. The Ranger RT-188 is another nice platform.

I currently have a Ranger 521 fiberglass boat and love it as I see you don't want to go down that road but you were admiring the Nitro line and I have to say I'm impressed. I never cared for Nitro till they came out with their Z-21, Z-20 and Z-19 boats. Really nice layout, quality and price.

Good luck with your search and check out BassBoatCentral.com for lots of info on boats. The have a great "Tin" section that talks about all the boats you are interested in.
 
Thanks for the heads up on Crestliner. The PT20 looks like a nice boat.

I procrastinated, and finally my other half re-carpeted my 13-year old Bass Tracker ProTeam 185. Figured I'd get a few more years out of it.
 
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